"Saving Private Ryan" (1998) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #71

Synopsis (according to AFI.com)
James Ryan, who has parachuted into France during the Allied invasion of Europe, has just lost three brothers in combat. Government policy dictates that he should return home lest his family be deprived of all its male offspring. A team of soldiers, led by Captain John Miller and fresh from the beaches of Normandy, is assembled to find and save Private Ryan.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
Having never served in the military and experienced the terror of war, movies are really the only avenue to help me imagine what it might be like.  And while there are other war movies on the AFI List, none of them seem as realistic and uncensored as "Saving Private Ryan" (Platoon probably comes the closest, but it definitely falls short in terms of effects and absolute realism).  For example, the film's opening with the D-Day invasion is one of the most incredible scenes in movie history.  It sets the stage for the rest of the film - being as true to war and battle as possible, without being gratuitous nor restrained in any way.  That balance alone is a credit to Spielberg and everyone else who worked on it.

In addition to the incredible production value, the story carries an ethical question that adds to the confusion of the situation - when is one man's life worth risking the lives of 8 others?  Given the situation presented in the film, there's no easy answer...except perhaps, FUBAR.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I would argue it's because this is the most true-to-life, realistic war movie ever made.  It's meticulously produced, extremely well-acted, and so realistic I remember hearing about all the vets who got flashbacks while watching it.  It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning 5 of them including Best Director, Cinematography, Sound Effects, Editing, and Sound.  It's a travesty that Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture over "Saving Private Ryan".  I would also argue Tom Hanks deserved the Best Actor award, but 1999 was quite a bonanza when it came to great movies and acting performances, with Edward Norton in American History X and the winner Roberto Benigni in Life is Beautiful.  Wow, that makes "Shakespeare in Love" winning Best Picture even more absurd, knowing those films didn't win it, either.  Sheesh.

Complaints
Having credited this movie with outstanding production, I do have to point out three very minor details that have always bothered me.

1) During the D-Day invasion, when Wade, the medic, is administering morphine to the dying soldiers, it looks like he just holds the morphine over the guy's leg without actually pricking him with it (like they do later on in the movie).

2) Also during the D-Day invasion, after they break through and are about to flamethrow that big square shooting room thing, they throw 2 grenades into the trench leading to it, but only one explosion occurs.  I always expect them to wait for the second explosion, but they proceed as if only one grenade was thrown.  Hmm.....

3) In the final battle scene, when the Nazis shoot that huge 20mm gun at the tank swarming with US soldiers, one soldier is clearly a dummy standing straight up in one place before getting literally shot to pieces.  The rest of the soldiers appear real and are moving, so that one in the middle really stands out like a sore thumb to me.  (Check out the scene below to see what I'm talking about.)

LET ME SUM UP...
Amazing movie with incredibly realistic effects and an ethically compelling story.  Perhaps the closest thing one can get to experiencing World War II for themselves.

MY RATING: 9.5/10 (0.5 higher from my previous rating)